A friend loves
at all times!
Proverbs 17:17
Jonathan and David
were good friends...
the best of friends.


They took good
care of one another.



We have a good
friend like that...
one that will stick
closer to us
than even
Jonathan was
to David...
a friend that will
stick closer to us
than a brother.

That friend is Jesus!

Thank-you Jesus,
for loving me
at all times!

_______________

Create in His Image
For a Purpose

Mr. Potato Head is a friend known to everyone!



In Chapel we took a
look at one potato head
and then tried to
make another to look
like the first.


While they
were very
much
the same
they were still
very different.

We are made in
the likeness of God.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said,
"Let us make man
in our image,
in our likeness..."


That doesn't mean
that we are
exactly like God.
The Bible tells us
that He wanted
each of us
to be special
and unique.

Psalm 139:14
I praise you because
I am fearfully
and
wonderfully made;
your works are
wonderful,
I know that
full well.


So, He thought
about us
as He made us.
He even counted
the hairs
on our head.

Luke 12:7
⁷Indeed, the
very hairs of
your head
are all numbered.


Aren't we glad
that we have
a wonderful God
who knows us
and
loves us!

He wants to
spend time
with us.
He made us
to spend forever
with Him.
But sadly,
our sin
keeps us apart
 from Him.

Proverbs 15:9
The way of
the wicked [is]
an abomination
unto the LORD:
but he
loveth him
that followeth
after righteousness.

He is a holy
and
righteous God.
He is without sin. 

Sin causes
things to die.
Romans 6:23
The wages of sin
is death.  
When something
dies, it rots.


Have you ever
seen or smelled
a rotten potato? 

These are
good potatoes.


When you
open them,
they are clean
and white inside.


When God
created
man, he called
man "good".


This is what
a rotten potato
looks like inside.


It's really yucky 
AND
really stinky!

You wouldn't
want to eat one...
 
You wouldn't
want to leave it
in your
kitchen cabinet...

You would
definitely
not put it in
your pocket
and carry it
around
with you! 

Do you think
we may seem
somewhat like
a rotten
potato to God?

God loved us
so much that
He made a way
to save us
from the
rottenness
and death
that sin causes.

He sent His son,
Jesus, to save us.

1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore
our sins in his body
on the tree.

Jesus took all
the rottenness
of our sin
off of us when
he died for us.

When he rose from
the dead, He took
away our death.

1 John 4:9-10
 ⁹ God showed
how much he loved
us by sending
his one and only Son
into the world so that
we might have eternal
life through him.
¹⁰ Thisis real love
—not that we
loved God,
but that he
loved us and
sent his Son
as a sacrifice to
take away our sins.

HEY... all you
potato heads...
Put on a smile!

You were created
to be special.

You were created
to be the object
of God's love.

You were created to
love Him
and to live
with Him forever.


So don't be a
"couch potato"
(doing nothing)-



go tell others
about the
wonderful God
who fearfully
and wonderfully
created you
with a purpose
in mind for
your life.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans
I have for you,”
says the Lord.
“They are plans
for good and
not for disaster,
to give you a
future and a hope
 
  ¹² In those days
when you pray,

I will listen.

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as
God's chosen
people, holy
and dearly
loved, clothe
yourselves with
compassion,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness
and
patience.

He was very short and
short on friends.

No one much liked Zaccheaus
because he was not very nice to folks.

He was a tax collector.
He took money from
the people for the Roman King
and as he took money for the King,
he took extra for himself.
That is stealing.

The people of Jericho had heard
that Jesus was on his way
to their town.
They were excited
because they had heard
the stories about
how Jesus had performed
many miracles,
healed the sick and
taught them.

Everyone wanted
to see this man.

As Jesus drew near to the town,
Zacchaeus struggled to get
through the crowd of people.
He wanted to see Jesus, too.
But, the people didn't
care about Zacchaeus.
They didn't like him.
 
He had no friends
in that crowd.
Then he had an idea!
He climbed up
into a sycamore
tree to see Jesus
as he passed by.

When Jesus reached
the spot, he looked up
and said to him,
"Zacchaeus, come down
immediately.
I must stay at
your house today."

 He had been chosen to
entertain Jesus that day!
 
 

All the people saw this
and began to mutter,
"He has gone to be the
guest of a sinner. "

Jesus had touched Zacchaeus’
heart with love and friendship.

That love and friendship
caused a great change in him.
 

Zacchaeus stood up and
said to the Lord,
"Look, Lord!
Here and now I give
half of my possessions
to the poor,
and if I have cheated
anybody out of anything,
I will pay back
four times the amount."

With joy, he gave back
the money that he had
taken from the people.

What could make a person
change so much?

Jesus knew that Zacchaeus
needed a friend.

Through a friendship with Jesus,
Zacchaeus began to feel loved.
This love changed his heart.

God changes
hearts. 

Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you
a new heart
and put a
new spirit in you;
I will remove
from you
your heart of stone
and give you
a heart of flesh.

 God is love.

1 John 4:8
Whoever
does not love
does not know
God, because
God is love.

 It is love that
changes hearts.

Reach out
and love
the unlovable.